Meet the board of trustees

Board of Trustees

JHC’s Trustees come from all walks of life and the charity benefits enormously from their wide range of skills and knowledge; we hope they find their experience of being a JHC trustee of value too.
The Board meets regularly to help JHC navigate its challenges and celebrate its successes equally. It acts as a single body to deliver and communicate our shared vision, keep a check on the organisation’s finances and activities, appoint and support the head of staff and take overall legal responsibility for the organisation’s work. All Trustees are volunteers.

David Baslington – Chair

“I believe passionately in the charity’s aims and take seriously my responsibilities as Chair”

David and his family have lived in Sawston for over 20 years, his two sons attended local schools and his wife Diane is currently Office Manager at the Bellbird Primary School.

Professionally, David splits his working week between a Christian Charity in Coton and Saffron Walden Almshouses. He trained originally as a Therapy Radiographer at the Royal Marsden and worked for 12 years in the Oncology Centre at Addenbrooke’s, so has a strong understanding of people’s changing health and social care requirements.

John Huntingdon’s Charity came to David’s attention early on when he was impressed by its commitment to those in need, offering advice, support and grants. He has been a JHC Trustee for 8½ years and Chair for the last 3, so will have to stand down in 18 months’ time in accordance with a 10 year-maximum term rule.

The Board of Trustees has complementary skills and personalities and shares a common ambition to champion JHC locally to Sawston’s residents and stakeholders.

In addition to his role as Chair, David is a member of the charity’s HR and Governance sub-committee. A good listener, he provides strategic leadership and practical support to help JHC achieve its goals.

Kieran Cooper – Vice-Chair

Eleanor Clapp

A Cambridge Natural Sciences graduate, Eleanor went on to study law in the City of London before joining legal firm CMS Cameron McKenna for her training contract; in 2004 she qualified as a solicitor in their Commercial Property team.

Eleanor and her husband relocated to Sawston later in 2005 and she worked for Eversheds LLP in Cambridge. Following the birth of their son in 2008, she joined JHC as a trustee in 2008 where her experience in the legal and property sectors strengthened the board’s skillset whilst enabling her to make a contribution to the local community. Eleanor was the first board member in JHC’s 500 year history to have a baby whilst a trustee, when her daughter was born in 2009!

She now works as a teaching assistant at the Bellbird School, is chair of Jigsaw Preschool in the village, volunteers regularly at the fortnightly Soup and Sandwich lunch and also belongs to the Greener Sawston group – sewing reusable bags to help discourage the use of disposable plastic bags.

Reg Cullum

“We’re very lucky because our Trustees share the charity’s values whilst contributing different ideas and skills relevant to our decision-making”

A qualified surveyor, Reg has extensive knowledge of housing, development and planning and grants management from his distinguished career with a number of local authorities including South Cambridgeshire.

He and his wife settled in Sawston in the late 1960s and raised their son and daughter here. Reg quickly became involved in voluntary community work within the village and the National Scouting Association.

His long association with John Huntingdon’s Charity began in the early 1970s through an introduction by the then vicar, Roland Bircham and he was Charity Chair between 2007-2014.

Reg continues to use his professional experience to inform JHC’s staff and its other trustees about how best to help clients navigate today’s complex benefits’ processes and social housing policy.

Ruth Franklin

“We need to share the message widely that JHC is a fantastic resource for Sawston”

Ruth worked as a GP in North Cambridge for 15 years and joined JHC as a trustee in 2015.

She understands the challenges people with long term health conditions and disability, and their families, can face. A firm champion of JHC, Ruth brings her professional experience of complex issues around health, social care, housing and benefits in support of the charity’s team and trustees.

Sandra Davidson

Sandra was a serving police officer for 32 years, the last 5 years based in Sawston as a neighbourhood sergeant.

During this time she got to know about JHC and witnessed first-hand the impact the charity’s support had on the lives of local people who, for whatever reason, found themselves in need of help.

On her retirement, Sandra became a JHC trustee and this has given her a further insight into the kind of challenges people face. Sandra contributes a wealth of specialist knowledge and experience to the trustees’ decisions about how and where to focus JHC’s support and services.

Rev. Alan Partridge

Originally from Swindon in Wiltshire, Alan trained as a history teacher and worked in secondary schools in Biggin Hill, Milton Keynes and Kings Lynn.

In 1988 he left teaching to train at St John’s Nottingham, for Ordination as a priest in the Church of England. Following his ordination in 2000, Alan served in Woking and Ely before coming to Sawston; he has been Priest in charge of St Mary’s Sawston and St Peter’s Babraham since 2009.

Alan shares with JHC an interest in caring for, and supporting those in need in our community at all levels.

He became a JHC trustee in 2009, a role which complements he work as School governor at Babraham, Chaplin to British Legion and Chaplin and a leader of Sawston Youth Group. Alan is also a trustee of the Ward’s, Bush and Bennett and Twogood’s charities.

Eileen Wheatley

“It’s important to provide a listening ear to our Support team members”

Eileen and her family recently celebrated their 40th year as Sawston residents after moving here from the north-west.

Throughout this time, Eileen’s principal interests have revolved around children and families. She served as a School Governor at John Paxton Primary School and, again, under its new name of Bellbird Primary School, collaborating with the PTA and raising funds for the school.

Eileen also trained as a Youth Leader with Cambridge City Council. Later, as a social worker, she experienced complex situations that necessitated children being taken into care, fostered or adopted. She subsequently put her knowledge and understanding to good use at the Free Church Youth Group, under John Belbin’s leadership.

A valued JHC trustee, Eileen continues her professional social work as well as offering input and advice to Corinne, Sarva and Maureen, JHC’s support team.

Chris Ingham

“After all these years I still feel privileged to be a part of JHC’s strong and dedicated team of trustees”

Chris has been a JHC Trustee for about 13 years after retiring in 2006 from the headship of John Falkner Infant School in Sawston. During her 20 years at the school, John Huntingdon’s Charity supported many of its pupils in school which is how Chris came to know the Charity. She retired in 2006 before the school closed in 2007 and the new Bellbird School opened.

Whilst not Sawston-based, Chris has had long connections with children and parents in the village. She now works closely with other JHC trustees to make decisions about grants for individuals and organisations, as well as liaising with the Support team on issues such as benefits, specialist family services and housing.

Chris also sits on a number of other JHC committees to do with property, finance and HR, all of which she finds both interesting and challenging.

Sue Reynolds

Originally from Cheshire, Sue trained as a generalist Citizens’ Advice Bureau Advisor and Guidance tutor. In 1997 she moved to Sawston with her family and, when a JHC trustee vacancy became available in 2000, Sue was able to share her wealth of experience and knowledge with the charity’s board too.

For the last 20 years she has been employed as a Money Matters Advisor at Cambridge Housing Society where she now leads a team of Money and Training Matters Advisors. Sue helps to facilitate the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Financial Capability Forum and delivers Financial Capability Training. This role enables her to keep up to date with Welfare Reform issues, such as the Benefit Cap, Bedroom Tax and the introduction of Universal Credit.

Sue keeps her fellow Trustees informed about relevant Benefit changes and how they may affect local people. She also chairs the JHC Advice Hub and is a valued sounding board for the JHC Support team which deals with these issues on a daily basis. She feels very strongly that everyone deserves to have access to good information and advice so they can make informed decisions about their own lives. She recognises the unique role JHC has for delivering such advice and support to local people, especially at a time of such upheaval and change.

Originally from Cheshire, Sue trained as a generalist Citizens’ Advice Bureau Advisor and Guidance tutor. In 1997 she moved to Sawston with her family and, when a JHC trustee vacancy became available in 2000, Sue was able to share her wealth of experience and knowledge with the charity’s board too.

For the last 20 years she has been employed as a Money Matters Advisor at Cambridge Housing Society where she now leads a team of Money and Training Matters Advisors. Sue helps to facilitate the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Financial Capability Forum and delivers Financial Capability Training. This role enables her to keep up to date with Welfare Reform issues, such as the Benefit Cap, Bedroom Tax and the introduction of Universal Credit.

Sue keeps her fellow Trustees informed about relevant Benefit changes and how they may affect local people. She also chairs the JHC Advice Hub and is a valued sounding board for the JHC Support team which deals with these issues on a daily basis. She feels very strongly that everyone deserves to have access to good information and advice so they can make informed decisions about their own lives. She recognises the unique role JHC has for delivering such advice and support to local people, especially at a time of such upheaval and change.

JHC is a 21st Century organisation with almost 500 years’ experience and an amazing team that works tirelessly to make a positive difference to the people of Sawston. Tim Wreghitt, former JHC Trustee